Disaster Recovery Center Opens in Virginia

VIRGINIA, Minn. — The Disaster Recovery Center is now open for any residents or business owners in St. Louis County who got hit hard by the flooding in mid-June.

The center is located in the St. Louis County Public Works Building on HWY 153. It plans to be open seven days a week from 7:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m.

Specialists with FEMA, Minnesota and the U.S. Small Business Administration will be available to get victims signed up for federal disaster assistance.

“Everyone’s already gone through a lot whether it was just your basement flooding or if you had water up all the way up to the eaves of your house,” said Emergency Management Coordinator, Josh Brinkman. “Devastating floods it’s not an easy thing to go through, it’s not something that most people have any type of insurance. So, really trying to hook them up with the best kind of assistance that we can is really what we’re trying to do here.”

FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration have important information for those in need of assistance.

“We’ll also always recommend that when you come and apply if you have pictures of the damages that you lost,” said Erendira Strittar, a public specialist with FEMA. “If you have any receipts so, any items that you had to buy to replace. Anything that you lost during the flooding so, June 16th to July 4th it is important to save them and bring them with you.”

“So, U.S. Small Administration’s loan program does have some design to it to help people be relieved of the stresses result of the disaster,” said Monica Myles, a public affairs specialist for the U.S. Small Business Administration. “During the first year of the loan, there’s no interest that accrues on the loan and the first payment for the loan is not due for a period of one year.”

FEMA says that additional recovery centers will be opening in other impacted counties soon. Check out fema.gov for updates.